The Old Greenwich School Renovation Project has spiraled to a staggering $53.2 million (or $55.8, depending on what meeting you attend)—nearly triple the original $20 million estimate—without a single shovel in the ground. This isn't just about rising costs; it's a story of delays, poor decisions, and missed opportunities, mostly under local Republican leadership. Let's break it down in plain terms and explore why it's time to rethink this project for our kids and our wallets.
A Timeline of Escalating Costs and Delays
Public records paint a clear picture of how we got here:
2019–2022: Early Stalls and Conflicts: In a 2019 facilities plan, pushed by Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) Republican Mike Mason and costing taxpayers $750,000, highlighted urgent needs at Old Greenwich School (OGS). But, then Republican Board of Education (BOE) Chairman Peter Bernstein and then BOE member Joe Kelly prioritized their own neighborhood school, ignoring experts and delaying specs an entire year until 2021 amid clear conflicts of interest. Projected project price tag - $20.3Mil. Republican Selectmen Fred Camillo and Lauren Rabin then slow-walked appointing a Building Committee until late 2022.
2022–2023: Divisive Leadership Takes Over: First Selectman Fred Camillo handpicked James Waters—a former Navy officer with no construction or management experience—to serve on the OG Committee and he became the committee chair. Waters, a person known for viciously attacking GOP elected officials and candidates, quickly jacked the budget to $40 million. The explanation was vague references to "post-COVID" factors and “prior delays”. Unsurprisingly, the BET was shocked and started asking questions. Mr. Waters’ Committee didn’t take kindly to questions, and a concerted public campaign against BET Republicans ensued. This seemed particularly political as the Building Committee had sufficient appropriations to begin early project phases.
2023: Republicans Question, Democrats Claim Delay Tactics: In 2023, the BET, under the Republican leadership of Dan Ozizmir, approved $15,000 for an independent cost estimator to verify BOE figures, which never happened. Without any credible independent information, BET Republicans rejected a $40 million funding request but did approve $2 million for further work, suggesting full rebuild versus a patchwork renovation might be a better use of taxpayer funds. More public insults and electoral threats ensued. Backroom Republican Party operatives pressed elected BET members to stop asking questions and rubber-stamp any requested budget.
2024–2026: Rubber-Stamping and Purges. Under the Republican leadership of Harry Fisher, projected costs ballooned to $47 million, then surged again. When BET members questioned yet another increase and suggested “value engineering” (a standard cost-cutting practice), they were attacked in classic Trumpian fashion with vicious public insults and electoral threats. The Republican Party reaction? Fred Camillo, Joe Kelly, and BET Chair Harry Fisher then purged fiscal watchdogs like Lucia Jansen, David Alfano, Nisha Arora and me from the BET for questioning the spending, and successfully installed new members with a proven track record of approving huge capital projects at any cost. It paid off immediately.
At their very first official BET meeting, Republicans Joe Kelly, Harry Fisher, Sally Bednar, Josh Brown, Joe Pellegrino and former budget hawk Leslie Tarkington joined Democrats and jammed through special off-cycle funding for an additional $6.3 million appropriation (although the RTM agenda has it at $8.2 million, so who knows what the real cost is). Welcome to $53.2 million (or higher, if you believe the RTM agenda).
The BET has also historically questioned and sent the BOE back to the drawing board when expenses balloon, as is what happened when New Lebanon School was being proposed. These practices have been abandoned by them.
Real Problems, But Is Renovation the Right Fix?
Old Greenwich School, a beloved 1902 building, faces serious issues: sewage backups, bad air quality, missing sprinklers, ADA barriers, and safety risks. These must be fixed—but at $53 million for patches on a 120-year-old structure? It's worth asking again: Wouldn't a brand-new school make more sense?
Cost Comparison: 2023 estimates put a new ~400-student school at $75–$85 million. Now, with renovation costs at 70%+ of that (per similar CT projects), the savings gap is shrinking fast. A modern build would include seamless HVAC, security, accessibility, and 21st-century classrooms—without the headaches of historic limitations or endless upkeep.
Community Views: Old Greenwich folks love the old building and nixed demolition before. Fair point! But with district enrollment dropping, redistricting or closing a school could cut waste. Preserving an outdated facility that still won't be fully modernized after $56 million+? That feels shortsighted.
Smarter Alternatives: The current phased plan (keeping kids in school during construction) adds time, complexity, and expense. Temporary relocation could save millions by speeding things up. Plus, centralizing pre-K (now spread across six sites at over $5 million yearly) like Darien does could trim $2 million annually in overhead, per BET suggestions—freeing cash without raising taxes.
Abandoning What Worked In the Past: The BET has also historically questioned and sent the BOE back to the drawing board when expenses balloon, as is what happened when New Lebanon School was being proposed. These practices have now been abandoned. Welcome to the Era of "BET's job is raising taxes for whatever any town department wants".
Why This Matters—and What to Do
Our children and taxpayers deserve solutions that prioritize value, safety, and sustainability — not escalating partial fixes that leave underlying issues unresolved long-term.
It's time for a full reevaluation: At a price point of over $53 million and climbing, wouldn't a modern new school — combined with smart operational changes like temporary relocation during construction and pre-K centralization — offer greater benefits, lower ongoing costs, and a stronger future?
The truth is evident: While many in town are concerned about losing our past history with the demolition of old town buildings, in this case our children will be better served if we build something new and efficient rather than continue patching the past at ever-higher expense.
Karen Fassuliotis served four terms on the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation; she was first elected in November 2017.
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